Parliamentary Committees

ABORIGINAL LANDS PARLIAMENTARY STANDING COMMITTEE: ANNUAL REPORT

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. J.M. Gazzola:

That the annual report of the committee 2009-10 be noted.

(Continued from 14 September 2011.)

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (17:09): I rise to support the motion of the Hon. J.M. Gazzola. I was part of the Aboriginal Lands Parliamentary Standing Committee during this particular period, along with some members who did not continue, those being the Hon. Lyn Breuer, Duncan McFetridge MP, the Hon. Robert Brokenshire and the Hon. Lea Stevens. I would certainly like to acknowledge the work of that committee and the tripartisan way in which we worked on the committee at that particular time.

We travelled far and wide. We visited communities such as Oak Valley, Yalata, Oodnadatta and Coober Pedy, and I am sure that on one of those trips we called into Maralinga and had a good look at the lands there. A highlight was that some of the committee attended the hand-back ceremony of the Maralinga Tjarutja lands to the traditional owners in December 2009.

Much has been said about travel this week. I can certainly talk about how I was living high on the hog on the trip to Oak Valley, where I was sharing a house with Duncan McFetridge. He had the double bed, being the shadow minister for Aboriginal affairs at the time, and I was camped on a two-seater lounge. It was really living high on the hog, in the lap of luxury. It is certainly not all beer and skittles.

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins: You could have shared a double bed.

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS: On the interjection that we could have shared a double bed: over my dead body, gentlemen—thanks for your help!

Whilst the committee worked extremely well together and I certainly commend the report, there was certainly debate over how appropriate it was to have the minister as chair of the committee. I know at the time the now Premier was chair of the committee and did attend some meetings and certainly showed some genuine interest. I am sure it was Lyn Breuer and Lea Stevens who were both quite adamant, with the support of Duncan McFetridge and the Hon. Robert Brokenshire, that we wanted the concept of the minister being the chair, and how appropriate that was, looked at.

It is probably not right for me to talk during this motion of how the next minister, the Hon. Grace Portolesi, rarely attended. That could be something for the next motion on the Aboriginal Lands Standing Committee annual report. With those few words, I commend the motion to the house.

Motion carried.